Challenger Disaster Live on CNN - YouTube Challenger Disaster Live on CNN Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Jul 24, 2007 January 28th, 1986 at 11:39am EDT - The Space Shuttle Challenger Explodes on its 10th flight during mission STS-51-L. The explosion occurred 73 seconds after liftoff and was actually the result of rapid deceleration and not combustion of fuel. CNN was the only national news station to broadcast the mission live, so thus what you are witnessing on this video is the only coverage of the disaster as it happened when it did. Approximately 17% of Americans witnessed the launch live, while 85% of Americans heard of the news within 1 hour of the event.

According to a study, only 2 other times in history up to that point had news of an event disseminated so fast - the first being the announcement of JFK's assassination in 1963, the second being news spread among students at Kent State regarding the news of FDR's death in 1945. It has been estimated at the time that nearly 48% of 9-13 year olds witnessed the event in their classrooms, as McAuliffe was in the spotlight. The 25th Space Shuttle mission altered the history of manned space exploration and represented the first loss of an American crew during a space mission (Apollo 1 was during a training exercise). Christa McAuliffe was slated to be the first teacher in space for the Teacher in Space Program. As her maximum altitude was ~65,000ft (12.31 miles), she never made it to space. That title was given to Barbara Morgan of STS-118 aboard the shuttle Endeavour in August 2007, 22 and a half years after the Challenger Disaster. Morgan served as McAuliffe's backup during STS-51-L.

As Morgan is now part of the Educator in Space Program, she will be credited as the first "educator" in space, to distinguish her from McAuliffe. Aboard Challenger during STS-51-L: Sharon Christa McAuliffe (Payload Specialist - Teacher in Space) Category Space Shuttle Challenger explodes, January 28, 1986 | EDN Space Shuttle Challenger explodes, January 28, 1986 Just 73 seconds after liftoff, NASA’s Space Shuttle Challenger exploded on January 28, 1986. Challenger was on mission STS-51-L, the 25th flight of the American Space Shuttle program. This flight marked the first time a non-government civilian, schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe, had flown aboard the Space Shuttle. McAuliffe was one of seven crewmates -- Gregory Jarvis, McAuliffe, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, Francis "Dick" Scobee, and Michael J. Smith -- all of whom died in the accident. Jarvis was originally scheduled to fly on the previous shuttle flight but had been re-assigned to this flight and replaced by Congressman Bill Nelson.

In this photo from January 9, 1986, the Challenger crew takes a break during countdown training at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Left to right are McAuliffe, Jarvis, Resnik, Scobee, McNair, Smith, and Onizuka. Source: NASA This was the 10th mission for Challenger. It was planned to deploy the second in a series of Tracking and Data Relay Satellites, carry out the first flight of the Shuttle-Pointed Tool for Astronomy (SPARTAN-203)/Halley's Comet Experiment Deployable in order to observe Halley's Comet, and carry out several lessons from space as part of the Teacher in Space Project and the Shuttle Student Involvement Program. The flight marked the first American orbital mission to involve in-flight fatalities. It was also the first American human spaceflight mission to launch and fail to reach space. Because the mission was part of the Teacher in Space Project and the Shuttle Student Involvement Program, school-age children across the United States were watching the launch live from their classrooms. President Ronald Reagan made special note of this in his address to the nation regarding the Challenger accident that day.

On June 6, 1986, the Report of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident (more commonly known as The Rogers Commission Report ) stated the cause of the accident to have been the failure of the primary and secondary O-ring seals on the Challenger's right solid rocket booster (SRB). NASA mission archives also note that cold weather was determined to be a contributing factor to the accident. The launch had been approved despite a predicted ambient temperature of 26 °F, well below the qualification limit of major components such as the SRBs, which had been certified for use only at temperatures above 40 °F. Space Shuttle Challenger's smoke plume after its in-flight breakup, resulting in its crash and the deaths of all seven crew members. Source: NASA Evidence found in the remnants of the crew cabin showed that several of the emergency air supplies carried by the astronauts had been manually activated, suggesting that forces experienced inside the cabin during breakup of the orbiter were not immediately fatal, and that at least three crew members were alive and capable of conscious action for some period of time following vehicle breakup.

However, based on remnants found after the accident and transcripts of the moments leading up to the accident, it is believed that the crew died quickly and without full understanding of what was occurring. Prior to this accident, Challenger was a star in NASA’s Space Shuttle program, flying more missions per year than Space Shuttle Columbia. In 1983 and 1984, Challenger flew on 85% of all Space Shuttle missions. Even when the Discovery and Atlantis joined the fleet, Challenger remained in heavy use with three missions a year from 1983 to 1985. Challenger's many spaceflight accomplishments included the first American woman, African-American, and Canadian in space; three Spacelab missions; and the first night launch and night landing of a Space Shuttle. The loss of Challenger and its crew led to a two-and-a-half year grounding of the shuttle fleet, with missions resuming in 1988 with the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-26. Challenger was replaced by the Space Shuttle Endeavour, which first launched in May 1992 and was constructed from structural spare parts that had been commissioned by NASA as part of the construction contracts for Discovery and Atlantis.

Also see: Challenger disaster - Jan 28, 1986 - HISTORY.com Challenger disaster Publisher A+E Networks At 11:38 a.m. EST, on January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger lifts off from Cape Canaveral, Florida , and Christa McAuliffe is on her way to becoming the first ordinary U.S. civilian to travel into space. McAuliffe, a 37-year-old high school social studies teacher from New Hampshire , won a competition that earned her a place among the seven-member crew of the Challenger. She underwent months of shuttle training but then, beginning January 23, was forced to wait six long days as the Challenger‘s launch countdown was repeatedly delayed because of weather and technical problems. Finally, on January 28, the shuttle lifted off. Seventy-three seconds later, hundreds on the ground, including Christa’s family, stared in disbelief as the shuttle broke up in a forking plume of smoke and fire. Millions more watched the wrenching tragedy unfold on live television. There were no survivors.

In 1976, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) unveiled the world’s first reusable manned spacecraft, the Enterprise. Five years later, space flights of the shuttle began when Columbia traveled into space on a 54-hour mission. Launched by two solid-rocket boosters and an external tank, only the aircraft-like shuttle entered into orbit around Earth. When the mission was completed, the shuttle fired engines to reduce speed and, after descending through the atmosphere, landed like a glider. Early shuttles took satellite equipment into space and carried out various scientific experiments. The Challenger disaster was the first major shuttle accident. In the aftermath of the disaster, President Ronald Reagan appointed a special commission to determine what went wrong with Challenger and to develop future corrective measures. The presidential commission was headed by former secretary of state William Rogers, and included former astronaut Neil Armstrong and former test pilot Chuck Yeager. The investigation determined that the disaster was caused by the failure of an “O-ring” seal in one of the two solid-fuel rockets. The elastic O-ring did not respond as expected because of the cold temperature at launch time, which began a chain of events that resulted in the massive loss.

As a result, NASA did not send astronauts into space for more than two years as it redesigned a number of features of the space shuttle. In September 1988, space shuttle flights resumed with the successful launching of the Discovery. Since then, the space shuttle has carried out numerous important missions, such as the repair and maintenance of the Hubble Space Telescope and the construction of the International Space Station. On February 1, 2003, a second space-shuttle disaster rocked the United States when Columbia disintegrated upon reentry of the Earth’s atmosphere. All aboard were killed. Despite fears that the problems that downed Columbia had not been satisfactorily addressed, space-shuttle flights resumed on July 26, 2005, when Discovery was again put into orbit. Related Videos Challenger: Shuttle Disaster That Changed NASA Challenger: Shuttle Disaster That Changed NASA By Elizabeth Howell, Space.com Contributor | October 16, 2012 01:21pm ET MORE The space shuttle Challenger was one of NASA's greatest triumphs. It was the second shuttle to reach space, in April 1983. It successfully completed nine milestone missions. But Challenger was also NASA's darkest tragedy.

On its 10th launch, on Jan. 28, 1986, the shuttle exploded 73 seconds after liftoff, killing the seven crewmembers. The accident changed the space program forever. This full view of Challenger in space was taken by a satellite. A heavily cloud-covered portion of the Earth forms the backdrop for this scene of Challenger in orbit. This image was taken during Challenger's STS-7 mission, which launched on June 18, 1983. Credit: NASA From test vehicle to space vehicle NASA originally intended Challenger to be a test vehicle. Rockwell began building the shuttle in November 1975 and then sent it to Lockheed for structural testing starting on April 2, 1978. According to NASA, computer models at the time were not sophisticated enough to calculate the stresses on the shuttle during different phases of flight. The shuttle, then known as STA-099, went through 11 months of vibration testing in a specially formulated rig. This custom-designed machine could bring the shuttle through a simulation of all phases of flight, from liftoff to landing. Three hydraulic cylinders, each with one million pounds of force, were used as substitute space shuttle main engines.

In 1979, NASA awarded Rockwell a supplemental contract to convert the test vehicle to a spacecraft. This would expand the shuttle fleet to two spacecraft, the first one being Columbia . It took two more years for Rockwell to perform the conversion. Among other things, workers had to strengthen the wings, put in a real crew cabin instead of a simulated one, and install heads-up displays for the astronauts working inside. Work completed on Oct. 23, 1981. Delays for the first flight Challenger was expected to go into space on Jan. 20, 1983, to release the first Tracking and Data Relay Satellite , which later became part of a series of satellites that astronauts used to stay in touch with controllers back home. Several technical malfunctions pushed the launch back, though. First, NASA discovered a hydrogen leak in the No. 1 main engine aft compartment during a flight readiness test in December. In a second test on Jan. 25, 1983, NASA discovered cracks in the engine that were causing the leak. The agency then took several months to remove the engines and test them. While engines two and three were deemed healthy, NASA replaced Engine No. 1.

A view of the shuttle Challenger's maiden STS-6 launch on April 4, 1983. In this view, Challenger is just clearing the launch pad in a cloud of smoke. Credit: NASA After another delay due to a problem with TDRS, Challenger launched successfully on April 4, 1983, on mission STS-6. Crew members set the satellite free; astronauts Story Musgrave and Donald Peterson also did the first spacewalk of the shuttle program. Cultural and technical firsts Besides the milestones in space technology, Challenger also was the vehicle by which several cultural firsts happened in the space shuttle program. The first American female astronaut, Sally Ride , rode up on Challenger on STS-7 in June 1983. The first African-American , Guion Bluford, reached space on STS-8. On STS-41G in 1984, two women — Ride and Kathryn Sullivan — flew on one mission for the first time – as well as the first Canadian, Marc Garneau. Other milestones Challenger marked included the first night launch and landing (STS-8) and the first operational Spacelab flight (STS-51B).

Spacelab was a European space laboratory that fit into a shuttle's cargo bay and included several experiments designed for tests in microgravity. It flew on Columbia on STS-9 for the first time, but Challenger's mission is considered the first working one. The flying repairman Some of Challenger's most memorable moments took place in April 1984, on STS-41C. That mission featured the very first astronaut repair of a satellite. To get at the nonfunctional Solar Maximum Mission satellite, astronaut George Nelson strapped himself into the Manned Maneuvering Unit , which was a jet-powered backpack designed for astronauts to fly in space. It had only been tested on one mission before this one. Challenger moved in space until it was only 200 feet from the satellite. Then, Nelson carefully left the safety of the shuttle and flew over to the satellite. A "fixture" on the front of his backpack let Nelson dock with the satellite, which was slowly tumbling in space. Next, he fired the jets on his backpack to stop the satellite's spin.

Crew members on Challenger then maneuvered the space shuttle close to the satellite, reached out with the Canadarm robotic arm, and plucked the satellite out of empty space and into the payload bay. Nelson and crewmate James "Ox" Van Hoften repaired the satellite together, then the crew lofted the satellite back into space. SMM continued functioning for several years, then burned up in the atmosphere in December 1989. Challenger disaster It was a cold morning on Jan. 28, 1986, when Challenger was supposed to fly into space. Temperatures dipped below freezing. There were certain people at NASA and among contractors that worried about the integrity of the seals on the solid rocket boosters in cold weather. At 78 seconds after liftoff, this image shows Challenger's left wing, main engines (still burning residual propellant) and the forward fuselage (crew cabin). Credit: NASA Challenger launched at 11:38 a.m. Eastern time in front of more media attention than usual, as it was carrying the first teacher to go in space. Christa McAuliffe was planning to give lessons while in orbit. She and the rest of the crew never made it.

Challenger broke up 73 seconds after launch in front of the television cameras. "Flight controllers here are looking very carefully at the situation. Obviously a major malfunction," the NASA launch commentator said as pieces of the shuttle fell from the sky into the Atlantic. Salvage crews spent several weeks recovering pieces of the shuttle and carefully, bringing up the remains of the seven astronauts. Remains that could be identified were turned over to the families, while the rest were buried in a monument to the Challenger crew at Arlington Cemetery on May 20, 1986. Cultural and technical problems A presidential commission was convened to look into the incident, chaired by former attorney general and secretary of state William P. Rogers. It included participation from Neil Armstrong (the first man on the moon) and NASA astronaut Sally Ride, among others. The commission talked about the technical causes of the accident , which was traced to cold weather degrading the seal on the boosters. Additionally, it brought to light cultural problems at NASA, such as failing to voice all problems to the launch decision team. The commission also said that the shuttle's proposed flight rate was unsustainable given the size of its workforce.

NASA made technical changes to the shuttle and also worked to change the culture of its workforce in the wake of what happened with Challenger. The shuttle program resumed flights in 1988. After the Challenger wreckage was examined, the pieces were buried and sealed in abandoned Minuteman missile silos at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, where they remain today. Challenger's explosion changed the space shuttle program in several ways. Plans to fly other civilians in space (such as journalists) were shelved for 22 years, until Barbara Morgan , who was McAuliffe's backup, flew aboard Endeavour in 2007. Satellite launches were shifted from the shuttle to reusable rockets. Additionally, astronauts were pulled off of duties such as repairing satellites, and the Manned Maneuvering Unit was not flown again, to better preserve their safety. Every January, NASA pauses to remember the last crew of Challenger, and the other crews lost in pursuing space, on a NASA Day of Remembrance . Additionally, Challenger has an educational legacy: members of the crews' families founded the Challenger Center for Space Science Education program, which brings students on simulated space missions. On Jan.

28, 1986, NASA faced its first shuttle disaster, the loss of the Challenger orbiter and its seven-astronaut crew. Here, Challenger's last crew – members of the STS-51L mission – stand in the White Room at Pad 39B following the end of a launch dress rehearsal. They are (L to R) Teacher in Space Participant, Sharon "Christa" McAuliffe, Payload Specialist, Gregory Jarvis, Mission Specialist, Judy Resnik, Commander Dick Scobee. Mission Specialist, Ronald McNair, Pilot, Michael Smith and Mission Specialist, Ellison Onizuka. Credit: NASA The Shuttle Explodes The Shuttle Explodes 6 IN CREW AND HIGH-SCHOOL TEACHER ARE KILLED 74 SECONDS AFTER LIFTOFF Thousands Watch Rain of Debris By William J. Broad Special to The New York Times RELATED HEADLINES After the Shock, A Need to Share Grief and Loss How Could it Happen? Fuel Tank Leak Feared From the Beginning to the End Reagan Lauds 'Heroes' Cape Canaveral, Fla. Jan.

28 -- The space shuttle Challenger exploded in a ball of fire shortly after it left the launching pad today, and all seven astronauts on board were lost. The worst accident in the history of the American space program, it was witnessed by thousands of spectators who watched in wonder, then horror, as the ship blew apart high in the air. Flaming debris rained down on the Atlantic Ocean for an hour after the explosion, which occurred just after 11:39 A. M. It kept rescue teams from reaching the area where the craft would have fallen into the sea, about 18 miles offshore. It seemed impossible that anyone could have lived through the terrific explosion 10 miles in the sky, and officials said this afternoon that there was no evidence to indicate that the five men and two women aboard had survived. No Ideas Yet as to Cause There were no clues to the cause of the accident. The space agency offered no immediate explanations, and said it was suspending all shuttle flights indefinitely while it conducted an inquiry. Officials discounted speculation that cold weather at Cape Canaveral or an accident several days ago that slightly damaged insulation on the external fuel tank might have been a factor.

Americans who had grown used to the idea of men and women soaring into space reacted with shock to the disaster, the first time United States astronauts had died in flight. President Reagan canceled the State of the Union Message that had been scheduled for tonight, expressing sympathy for the families of the crew but vowing that the nation's exploration of space would continue. Killed in the explosion were the mission commander, Francis R. (Dick) Scobee; the pilot Comdr. Michael J. Smith of the Navy; Dr. Judith A. Resnik; Dr. Ronald E. McNair; Lieut. Col. Ellison S. Onizuka of the Air Force; Gregory B. Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe. Mrs. McAuliffe, a high-school teacher from Concord, N.H., was to have been the first ordinary citizen in space. After a Minute, Fire and Smoke The Challenger lifted off flawlessly this morning, after three days of delays, for what was to have been the 25th mission of the reusable shuttle fleet that was intended to make space travel commonplace. The ship rose for about a minute on a column of smoke and fire from its five engines.

Suddenly, without warning, it erupted in a ball of flame. The shuttle was about 10 miles above the earth, in the critical seconds when the two solid-fuel rocket boosters are firing as well as the shuttle's main engines. There was some discrepancy about the exact time of the blast: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said they lost radio contact with the craft 74 seconds into the flight, plus or minus five seconds. Two large white streamers raced away from the blast, followed by a rain of debris that etched white contrails in the cloudless sky and then slowly headed toward the cold waters of the nearby Atlantic. The eerie beauty of the orange fireball and billowing white trails against the blue confused many onlookers, many of whom did not at first seem aware that the aerial display was a sign that something had gone terribly wrong. There were few sobs, moans or shouts among the thousands of tourists, reporters, and space agency officials gathered on an unusually cold Florida day to celebrate the liftoff, just a stunned silence as they began to realize that the Challenger had vanished. Among the people watching were Mrs.

McAuliffe's two children, her husband and her parents and hundreds of students, teachers and friends from Concord. "Things started flying around and spinning around and I heard some oh's and ah's, and at that moment I knew something was wrong," said Brian Ballard, the editor of The Crimson Review at Concord High School. "I felt sick to my stomach. I still feel sick to my stomach." Ships Searching the Area At an outdoor news conference held here this afternoon, Jesse w. Moore, the head of the shuttle program at NASA, said: "I regret to report that, based on very preliminary searches of the ocean where the Challenger impacted this morning, these searches have not revealed any evidence that the crew of the Challenger survived." Behind him, in the distance, the American flag waved at half-staff. Coast Guard ships were in the area of impact tonight and planned to stay all night, with airplanes set to comb the area at first light for debris that could provide the clues to the catastrophe. Some material from the shattered craft was reported to be washing ashore on Florida beaches tonight, mostly the small heat-shielding tiles that protect the shuttle as it passes through the earth's atmosphere.

Films of the explosion showed a parachute drifting toward the sea, apparently one that would have lowered one of the huge reusable booster rockets after its fuel was spent. Pending an investigation, Mr. Moore said at the news conference this afternoon, hardware, photographs, computer tapes, ground support equipment and notes taken by members of the launching team would be impounded. The three days of delays and a tight annual launching schedule did not force a premature launching, Mr. Moore said in answer to a reporter's question. 'Flight Safety a Top Priority' "There was no pressure to get this particular launch up," he said. "We have always maintained that flight safety was a top priority in the program." Several hours after the accident, Mr. Moore announced the appointment of an interim review team, assigned to preserve and identify flight data from the mission, pending the appointment of a formal investigating committee. The members of the interim panel are Richard G. Smith, the director of the Kennedy Space Center; Arnold Aldridge, the manager of the National Space Transportation System, Johnson Space Center; William Lucas, director of the Marshall Space Flight Center; Walt Williams, a NASA consultant, and James C.

Harrington, the director of Spacelab, who will serve as executive secretary. A NASA spokesman said a formal panel could be appointed as soon as Wednesday by Dr. William R. Graham, the director of the space agency. All American manned space launchings were stopped for more than a year and a half after the worst previous American space accident, in January 1967, when three astronauts were killed in a fire in an Apollo capsule on the launching pad. 'Hope We Go Today' This year's schedule was to have been the most ambitious in the history of the shuttle program, with 15 flights planned. For the Challenger, the workhorse of the nation's shuttle fleet, this was to have been the 10th mission. Today's launching had been delayed three times in three days by bad weather. The Challenger was to have launched two satellites and Mrs. McAullife was to have broadcast two lessons from space to millions of students around the country. All day long, well after the explosion, the large mission clocks scattered about the Kennedy Space Center continued to run ticking off the minutes and seconds of a flight that had long ago ended.

Long before liftoff this morning, skies over the Kennedy Space Center were clear and cold, reporters and tourists shivering in leather gloves, knit hats and down coats as temperatures hovered in the low 20's. Icicles formed as ground equipment sprayed water on the launching pad, a precaution against fire. At 9:07 A. M., after the astronauts were seated in the shuttle, wearing gloves because the interior was so cold, ground controllers broke into a round of applause as the shuttle's door, whose handle caused problems yesterday, which was closed. "Good morning, Christa, hope we go today," said ground control as the New Hampshire school teacher settled into the spaceplane. "Good morning," she replied, "I hope so, too." Those are her last known words. The liftoff, originally scheduled for a 9:38 A. M., was delayed two hours by problems on the ground caused first by a failed fire-protection device and then by ice on the shuttle's ground support structure. The launching was the first from pad 39-B, which had recently undergone a $150 million overhaul. It had last been used for a manned launching in the 1970's.

Just before liftoff, Challenger's external fuel tank held 500,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and oxygen, which are kept separate because they are highly volatile when mixed. The fuel is used in the shuttle's three main engines. At 11:38 A. M. the shuttle rose gracefully off the launching pad, heading in to the sky. The shuttle's main engines, after being cut back slightly just after liftoff, a normal procedure, were pushed ahead to full power as the shuttle approached maximum dynamic pressure when it broke through the sound barrier. "Challenger, go with throttle up," said James D. Wetherbee of mission control in Houston about 11:39 A. M. "Roger," replied the commander, Mr. Scobee, "go with throttle up." Those were the last words to be heard on the ground from the winged spaceplane and her crew of seven. As the explosion occurred, Stephen A.

Nesbitt of Mission Control in Houston, apparently looking at his notes and not the explosion on his television monitor, noted that the shuttle's velocity was "2,900 feet per second, altitude 9 nautical miles, downrange distance 7 nautical miles." That is a speed of about 1,977 miles an hour, a height of about 10 statute miles and a distance down range of about 8 miles. The first official word of the disaster came from Mr. Nesbitt of Mission Control, who reported, "a major malfunction." He added that communications with the ship had failed 1 minute 14 seconds into the flight. "We have no downlink," he said, referring to communications from the Challenger. "We have a report from the flight dynamics officer that the vehicle has exploded." His voice cracked. "The flight director confirms that," he continued. "We're checking with the recovery forces to see what can be done at this point." Tapes Showed Small Fire In the sky above the Kennedy Space Center, the shuttle's two solid-fuel rocket boosters sailed into the distance.

The explosion, later viewed in slow-motion televised replays taken by cameras equipped with telescopic lenses, showed what appeared to be the start of a small fire at the base of the huge external fuel tank, followed by the quick separation of the solid rockets. A huge fireball then engulfed the shuttle as the external tank exploded. At the news conference, Mr. Moore would not speculate on the cause of the disaster. The estimated pint of impact for debris was 18 to 20 miles off the Florida coast, according to space agency officials. "The search and rescue teams were delayed getting into the area because of debris continuing to fall from very high altitudes, for almost an hour after ascent," said Mr. Nesbitt of Mission Control in Houston. Speaking at 1 P. M. in Florida, Lieut. Col. Robert W. Nicholson Jr., a spokesman for the rescue operation, which is run by the Defense Department, said range safety radars near the Kennedy Space Center detected debris falling for nearly an hour after the explosion. "Anything that went into the area would have been endangered," he said in an interview. In addition, the explosion of the huge fuel supply would have created a cloud of toxic vapors.

NASA officials said tonight that the hazardous gases presented no danger to land, but the Coast Guard was advising boats and ships to avoid the area. Not a Good Ditcher In an interview last year, Tommy Holloway, the chief of the flight director office at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, talked about the possibility of a shuttle crash at sea. "This airplane is not a good ditcher," he said: "It will float O.K. if it doesn't break apart, and we have hatches we can blow off the top. But the orbiter lands fast, at 190 knots. You come in and stop in 100 yards or so. You decelerate like gangbusters, and anything in the payload bay comes forward. We don't expect a very good day if it comes to that." On board Challenger was the world's privately owned communication satellite, the $100 million Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, which with its rocket boosters weighed 37,636 pounds. This morning, water froze on the shuttle service structure, used for fire fighting equipment and for emergency showers that technicians would use if they were exposed to fuel.

The takeoff was delayed because space agency officials feared that during the first critical seconds of launching, icicles might fly off the service structure and damage the delicate heat-resistant tiles on the shuttle, which are crucial for the vehicle's re-entry through the earth's atmosphere. NASA - Space Shuttle Overview: Challenger (OV-099) Space Shuttle Overview: Challenger (OV-099) First called STA-099, Challenger was built to serve as a test vehicle for the Space Shuttle program. But despite its Earth-bound beginnings, STA-099 was destined for space. In the late 1970s, NASA strived for a lighter weight orbiter, but a test vehicle was needed to ensure the lighter airframe could handle the stress of space flight. Computer software at the time wasn't yet advanced enough to accurately predict how STA-099's new, optimized design would respond to intense heat and stress. The best solution was to submit the vehicle to a year of intensive vibration and thermal testing. Image to left: Challenger is seen against a breathtaking backdrop of blue water and white clouds in this photo, taken from a camera aboard the Shuttle Pallet Satellite during mission STS-7.

Credit: NASA In early 1979, NASA awarded Space Shuttle orbiter manufacturer Rockwell a contract to convert STA-099 to a space-rated orbiter, OV-099. The vehicle's conversion began late that year. Although the job was easier than it would have been to convert NASA's first orbiter, Enterprise, it was a major process that involved the disassembly and replacement of many parts and components. The second orbiter to join NASA's Space Shuttle fleet, OV-099 arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida in July 1982, bearing the name "Challenger." Space Shuttle orbiter Challenger was named after the British Naval research vessel HMS Challenger that sailed the Atlantic and Pacific oceans during the 1870s. The Apollo 17 lunar module also carried the name of Challenger. Like its historic predecessors, Challenger and her crews made significant scientific contributions in the spirit of exploration. Challenger launched on her maiden voyage, STS-6, on April 4, 1983. That mission saw the first spacewalk of the Space Shuttle program, as well as the deployment of the first satellite in the Tracking and Data Relay System constellation.

The orbiter launched the first American woman, Sally Ride, into space on mission STS-7 and was the first to carry two U.S. female astronauts on mission STS 41-G. Image to right: Space Shuttle Challenger leaps from the launch pad to begin mission STS-41-C. Credit: NASA The first orbiter to launch and land at night on mission STS-8, Challenger also made the first Space Shuttle landing at Kennedy Space Center, concluding mission STS 41-B. Spacelabs 2 and 3 flew aboard the ship on missions STS 51-F and STS 51-B, as did the first German-dedicated Spacelab on STS 61-A. A host of scientific experiments and satellite deployments were performed during Challenger's missions. Challenger's service to America's space program ended in tragedy on Jan. 28, 1986. Just 73 seconds into mission STS 51-L, a booster failure caused an explosion that resulted in the loss of seven astronauts, as well as the vehicle. The loss of Challenger does not overshadow her legacy in NASA's storied history.

The discoveries made on her many successful missions continue to better mankind in space flight and in life on Earth. Construction Milestones - STA-099 Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy 30 years ago Share Search The Space Shuttle Challenger explodes shortly after lifting off from Kennedy Space Center, Fla., Tuesday, Jan. 28, 1986. All seven crew members died in the explosion, which was blamed on faulty o-rings in the shuttle's booster rockets. The Challenger's crew was honored with burials at Arlington National Cemetery. (AP Photo/Bruce Weaver) This is the official NASA photo of the crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger mission 51L. All seven members of the crew were killed when the shuttle exploded during launch on Jan. 28, 1986. From front left, are: astronauts Michael J. Smith, Francis R. (Dick) Scobee, and Ronald E. McNair. Rear left are: Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, and Judith Resnik.

(AP Photo The Space Shuttle Challenger lifts off Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 11:38 a.m., EST, January 28, 1986. The entire crew of seven was lost in the explosion 73 seconds into the launch. (AP Photo/NASA) Traveling at nearly 2,000 miles-per-hour, the United States space shuttle Challenger; explodes shortly after being launched from Cape Canaveral on Jan. 28, 1986, taking its crew of seven to instant death. Pictures are from a television replay of the disaster as recorded in London. (AP Photo) The Space Shuttle mission 51-L explodes after liftoff from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, Jan. 28, 1986 with a crew of seven aboard. The explosion came after liftoff but NASA officials say there were no apparent problems at the time. The Space Shuttle orbiter Challenger also was reported to have exploded on impact in the water Challenger also was reported to have exploded on impact in the water.

(AP Photo/Steve Helber) The remains of the crew of the space shuttle 'Challenger' are moved from the Shuttle Landing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida, to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, on board a Military Airlift Command C-141, 29th April 1986. NASA officials, a military guard of honour and escorts from the Astronaut Office are present for the departure. The seven crew members of the 'Challenger' died on 28th January 1986, when the shuttle broke up shortly after take-off. (Photo by Space Frontiers/Getty Images) The crew for the Space Shuttle Challenger flight 51-L leaves their quarters for the launch pad, Jan. 27, 1986, at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Front to back are Commander Francis Scobee, Mission Spl. Judith Resnik, Mission Spl. Ronald McNair, Payload Spl. Gregory Jarvis, Mission Spl. Ellison Onizuka, teacher Christa McAuliffe, and pilot Michael Smith.

(AP Photo/Steve Helber) A puff of smoke is visible from the right hand solid rocket booster just seconds after the boosters fired, launching the Challenger and its crew of seven, Jan. 28, 1986. (AP Photo/NASA) Icicles are visible in this photo taken by a NASA ice inspection team the morning of the Space Shuttle Challenger's final launch, Kennedy Space Center, Fla., Jan. 28, 1986. The icicles are on hand rails and support structure of the Fixed Service Structure, which is used to service the shuttle just before launch. The shuttle, its external fuel tank, and left side solid rocket booster motor, are visible in the background. (AP Photo/NASA) The family of Christa McAuliffe, a teacher who was America's first astronaut, realize the horror after the Space Shuttle orbiter Challenger blew apart after liftoff from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 1986. The sister of Christa, Betsy, left, and parents Grace and Ed Corrigan console each other after the explosion.

(AP Photo/Jim Cole) Two unidentified spectators at the Kennedy Space Center react after they witnessed the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, Jan. 28, 1986. The shuttle, which carried a crew of seven, exploded just moments after takeoff. (AP Photo) This photo shows a portion of the explosion of the Challenger space shuttle on Jan. 28, 1986 at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The seven crew members perished in the explosion. One of the shuttle's booster rockets, whose faulty O-rings were blamed for the disaster, shoots off to the right. (AP Photo/NASA) Classmates of the son of America's first school teacher astronaut cheer as the space shuttle Challenger lifts skyward from Pad 39B, Jan. 28, 1986. Their delight soon turned into horror as the shuttle exploded about 70 seconds into flight. The boy in the white hat and glasses at center is not a schoolmate but is Peter Billingsley, spokesman for the young astronaut program. (AP Photo/Jim Cole) The American flag in the press site at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla., flies at half-mast, Tuesday, Jan.

28, 1986, following the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger. NASA said the crew of seven aboard the craft died in the explosion. Launch pad B is shown under the flag. (AP Photo/Jim Cole) Young Scott McAuliffe's third grade teacher comforts one of her charges as another youngster and a young woman, right, react after seeing the Space Shuttle Challenger explode in midair, killing all aboard, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 1986. The teacher and student are from the Kimbell Elementary School in Concord, N.H., where young McAuliffe, son of space school teacher Christa McAuliffe, is a student. (AP Photo) The body of the first teacher chosen for space, Christa McAuliffe, is carried by an honor guard to a C-141 Starlifter jet in Florida, April 29, 1986 where she and six other Space Shuttle Challenger astronauts will be flown to Dover, Del. The Astronauts were killed in Mission 51-L on January 28th.

(AP Photo) The left side of the Space Shuttle Challenger is seen in a hangar at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., April 9, 1986. Reporters and photographers were allowed to see the wreckage of the shuttle for the first time today. The Challenger exploded just after takeoff on Jan. 28, killing all seven crew members. (AP Photo/Doug Jennings) FILE - The Space Shuttle orbiter Challenger is destroyed by an explosion shortly after it lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on Jan. 28, 1986. Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016, marks the 30th anniversary of the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, which killed all seven crew members. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File) Richard Greene adjusts a letter as he sets up a billboard outside a Concord, New Hampshire motel on Thursday, Jan. 30, 1986. Teacher Christa McAuliffe, who taught at Concord High School, was a crewmember aboard the ill-fated Space Shuttle Challenger. (AP Photo/Peter Southwick) An unidentified boy looks at a shrine set up in memory of Christa McAuliffe at St. John's Church in Concord, New Hampshire on Wednesday, Jan.

30, 1986, following a memorial service in her honor. McAuliffe was killed in the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger on Tuesday. (AP Photo/David Tenenbaum) Kennedy Space Center workers enroute to Pad 39B were met by the sight of seven small American flags along side the road, Jan. 30, 1986. Seven crew members were killed in the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger on Tuesday which was launched from Pad 39B. (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin) Coast guardsmen retrieve debris from the space shuttle Challenger, Jan. 31, 1986, off the coast of Florida. The Challenger exploded shortly after take off, killing its crew of seven. (AP Photo/Pool) A billboard showing the date of the space shuttle Challenger disaster along with the names of the seven astronauts who lost their lives aboard the shuttle stands on a hill overlooking motorists passing by on Pulaski Highway in Baltimore, Maryland on Jan. 31, 1986. (AP Photo/Joe Giza) An estimated crowd of 2500 peopled gather around the foot of the Statehouse steps in Concord, New Hampshire, Friday, Jan.

31, 1986 to participate in a memorial service for Concord High School teacher Christa McAuliffe who was killed in the space shuttle Challenger explosion on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Bob LaPree) A delegation from the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 10131, Cape Canaveral, Florida carrying seven wreaths, ride a boat into the Atlantic ocean, Monday, Feb. 3, 1986 to drop the wreaths in honor of the seven crew members killed in the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger. (AP Photo/Terry Renna) U.S. President Ronald Reagan, center, is surrounded by members of his senior staff as he watches a TV replay of the explosion of the Challenger space shuttle, on February 3, 1986, at the White House in Washington. From left are: Larry Speakes, deputy White House press secretary; Presidential Assistant Dennis Thomas; Special Assistant Jim Kuhn; Reagan; White House Communications Director Patrick Buchanan, and Chief of Staff Donald Regan. (AP Photo/Craig Fujii) Suzanne and Chris Butler prepare to put a wreath on the door of mission specialist Ellison Onizuka in Houston, Texas, Tuesday, Jan.

28, 1986. Onizuka was aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger when it exploded. (AP Photo) A military ambulance, right of center with lights on, waits for the U.S.S. Preserver to unload its cargo after it arrived at the Trident Submarine Docks at Port Canaveral, March 17, 1986. The Preserver was carrying debris from the space shuttle Challenger and reportedly the remains of crew members. (AP Photo/Bruce Weaver) The giant salvage ship, the Stener Workhorse comes to port as storm clouds darken overhead and waves crash against the jetties at Port Canaveral, Florida on Friday, March 14, 1986. The Stener Workhorse was one of the largest ships being used for salvage work in an area where Space Shuttle Challenger crashed into the sea following the explosion that ripped it apart on January 28th. (AP Photo/Thom Baur) Senior class President Carina Dolcino is stunned by the news that the space shuttle carrying Concord High School teacher Christa McAuliffe exploded after launch Concord, New Hampshire on Jan. 28, 1986.

Students at the school watched the launch on television sets scattered throughout the school. A gala celebration had been planned for a successful launch. (AP Photo/Ken Williams/Concord Monitor) Reporters and photographers examine the wreckage of the space shuttle Challenger for the first time, April 9, 1986, at the Kennedy Space Center. The Challenger exploded just after lift off on Jan. 28, killing all seven crew members aboard. (AP Photo/Pool) A military honor guard carries the remains of one of the crew members of the Space Shuttle Challenger at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on Tuesday, April 29, 1986, as the body was being transferred to Dover, Del. Seven crew members were killed in the Jan. 28th explosion. (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin) The bodies of the seven space shuttle Challenger astronauts, killed in an explosion after take off Jan. 28, are carried by an honor guard past Chief of Flight Crew Operations, George Abbey as they are loaded aboard a C-141B Starlifter, April 29, 1986.

(AP Photo/Paul Kizzle) The front landing gear of the Space Shuttle Challenger as well as other structural components can be seen in this photograph taken in the storage area of the Kennedy Space Centers logistics building on June 12, 1986. NASA has recovered 35 percent of the shuttle, 50 percent of the solid rocket boosters and 15 percent of the external fuel tank. (AP Photo/James Neihouse) Workmen shift a huge crate containing debris from the Space Shuttle Challenger as it is lowered into an unused Minuteman missile silo at the Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, Jan. 8, 1987. The silos are 78 feet deep and were filled with the debris. Challenger exploded shortly after it was launch on January 28th last year, killing all seven crewmen aboard. (AP Photo/Jim Neihouse) This photo, taken seconds after the explosion of the Challenger space shuttle on Jan. 28, 1986, at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The seven crew members perished in the explosion. One of the shuttle's booster rockets, whose faulty O-rings were blamed for the disaster, shoots off to the right.

(AP Photo/NASA) The Space Shuttle Challenger is making its final journey this week as workers transport the debris recovered after the January 28, 1986 accident to a storage site on the Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Jan. 20, 1986. An unused Minuteman Missile silo is being used to store debris. All boxes and pieces such as the one pictured here are numbered and catalogued for retrieval if necessary. (AP Photo/James Neihouse) The Space Shuttle orbiter Challenger lifts off from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, Jan. 28, 1986, in a cloud of smoke with a crew of seven aboard. The shuttle exploded after this photo, taken from atop the Vehicular Assembly Building, was made. (AP Photo/Thom Baur) The family of Christa McAuliffe, a teacher who was America's first astronaut, realize the horror after the Space Shuttle orbiter Challenger blew apart after liftoff from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 1986. The sister of Christa, Betsy, left, and parents Grace and Ed Corrigan console each other after the explosion.

(AP Photo/Jim Cole) Spectators in the VIP area at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla., watch as the Space Shuttle Challenger lifts from Pad 39-B, January 28, 1986. The shuttle, carrying a crew of seven, including the first teacher in space, exploded about 73 seconds after launch. All were killed. (AP Photo/Bruce Weaver) Debris from the ill-fated Space Shuttle Challenger is unloaded by from Coast Guard cutter Dallas, Feb. 19, 1986. The explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger on January 28 killed all seven crew members. (AP Photo) Teacher Christa McAuliffe smiles after she was suited up for her space flight at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, Jan. 27, 1986. At rear is the hatch McAuliffe entered the space shuttle Challenger which is scheduled for launch. (AP Photo) In this 1986 file picture, members of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident walk past the solid rocket boosters and the external tank of a shuttle being fitted in the Vehicle Assembly building at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla.

(AP Photo/Pool, File) TV monitor shots of Space Shuttle Challenger Flight 51-L, crew, Jan. 28, 1986. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) Space Shuttle Challenger Flight 51-L, Lt. Commander Jim Simpson, briefs newsmen, Jan. 29, 1986, on the operation of Coast Guard ships searching the Atlantic Ocean off of the Kennedy Space Center, Florida for debris from the Space Shuttle Challenger which exploded after liftoff yesterday. (AP Photo/Thom Baur) In this Saturday, Feb. 1, 1986 file picture, a cross and wreath with a picture of the space shuttle Challenger stand on the shore as a Coast Guard cutter heads out to sea searching for debris from the shuttle in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/Jim Neihouse) This is a view of the nose section of the Space Shuttle Challenger as seen by reporters and photographers at the Kennedy Space Center, April 9, 1986, Fla. Reports are that the nose of the craft including the crew compartment hit the Atlantic Ocean after the January 28th shuttle explosion.

(AP Photo/Bruce Weaver) John White, National Transportation Safety Board inspector, stands near the left side of the wreckage of the Space Shuttle Challenger, Wednesday, April 10, 1986, Kennedy Space Center, Fla. The press was allowed to view the Challenger wreckage for the first time. (AP Photo) The right wing of the space shuttle Challenger as it lies in a warehouse on the Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, April 9, 1986. Shown in the background are representatives of the media who were allowed to view the wreckage for the first time. (AP Photo/Burce Weaver) Pieces of the Space Shuttle Challenger are arranged in a hangar after being salvaged from the Atlantic Ocean where they were scattered, on January 28, 1986 when the spacecraft exploded. Space Shuttle Challenger exploded on January 28, 1986 seconds after blast-off, killing seven astronauts, putting all space flights on hold for 32 months. (STF/AFP/Getty Images) The memorial to the Challenger space shuttle astronauts is seen in this 12 April, 2005 photo in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.

On 28 January 1986 the Shuttle Challenger, launched from Cape Kennedy in Florida, exploded and fell into the sea. (KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images) ‹ For NASA, a Somber Week of Space Disaster Anniversaries For NASA, a Somber Week of Space Disaster Anniversaries By Tariq Malik, Space.com Managing Editor | January 28, 2013 05:50pm ET MORE NASA's Day of Remembrance on Feb. 1, 2013, will honor the memories of astronauts who died during the Apollo 1, space shuttle Challenger and shuttle Columbia tragedies. Credit: NASA This week marks a somber time for NASA, with the anniversaries of three U.S. spaceflight disasters recalling the memories of those astronauts who made the ultimate sacrifice in the pursuit of space exploration. On Friday (Feb. 1), NASA will pause to honor the memories of the three astronauts killed in the Apollo 1 fire of 1967, the seven astronauts killed in the Challenger shuttle disaster in 1986, and the seven astronauts who died when the space shuttle Columbia broke apart during re-entry on Feb. 1, 2003.

This year's Day of Remembrance ceremony is especially poignant — it will mark the 10th anniversary of the Columbia disaster that led to the end of the space shuttle program . "NASA's Day of Remembrance honors members of the NASA family who lost their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery," NASA officials wrote in an announcement. "Flags across the agency will be flown at half-staff in their memory." NASA will hold a televised ceremony on Friday at the Kennedy Space Center's Space Mirror, a memorial to astronauts who died during spaceflight. The service, hosted by the Astronaut Memorial Foundation, will begin at 10 a.m. EST (1500 GMT) and be webcast live via NASA TV. SPACE.com will carry the NASA video stream live. NASA chief Charles Bolden — a former space shuttle commander — will pay tribute with other NASA officials during an observance at the astronaut memorial at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. [ Columbia Shuttle Disaster: Share Your Thoughts ] NASA's spaceflight tragedies Astronauts (left to right) Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee posing in front of Launch Complex 34. Credit: NASA On Jan.

27, 1967, Apollo 1 astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee were killed when a fire broke out in their crew capsule during a ground test a month before their planned launch. It was NASA's first mission-related tragedy and led to a safety investigation into the Apollo spacecraft. Two years later, in July 1969, the agency's Apollo 11 mission landed the first astronauts on the moon. On Jan. 28, 1986, 19 years and a day after the Apollo 1 fire , NASA's space shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds after liftoff due to an O-ring failure in one of the orbiter's twin solid rocket boosters. The malfunction allowed hot gas to escape the rocket booster, ultimately causing the shuttle's external fuel tank to explode. [ NASA's Fallen Astronauts: A Photo Memorial ] On Jan. 28, 1986, NASA faced its first shuttle disaster, the loss of the Challenger orbiter and its seven-astronaut crew.

Here, Challenger's last crew – members of the STS-51L mission – stand in the White Room at Pad 39B following the end of a launch dress rehearsal. They are (L to R) Teacher in Space Participant, Sharon "Christa" McAuliffe, Payload Specialist, Gregory Jarvis, Mission Specialist, Judy Resnik, Commander Dick Scobee. Mission Specialist, Ronald McNair, Pilot, Michael Smith and Mission Specialist, Ellison Onizuka. Credit: NASA Killed in the explosion were astronauts Francis "Dick" Scobee, Ronald McNair, Mike Smith, Ellison Onizuka, Judy Resnik, Greg Jarvis and Connecticut teacher Christa McAuliffe. McAuliffe was slated to become the first teacher in space during the mission, boosting national attention on the spaceflight. It would take NASA three years to resume flying the shuttle. Today, the nonprofit StoryCorps released a video to honor the memory of Ronald McNair , the second African-American in space. The video commemorates McNair's childhood in Lake City, S.C., and his path to space.

NASA's final space shuttle disaster occurred 17 years after the Challenger accident, when Columbia broke apart during re-entry, killing its STS-107 astronaut crew . The crew was commanded by veteran astronaut Rick Husband and included pilot Willie McCool, mission specialists Kalpana Chawla, Laurel Clark and David Brown, payload commander Michael Anderson and payload specialist Ilan Ramon, Israel's first astronaut. Unlike Challenger, which was destroyed during launch, the Columbia shuttle disaster occurred as the orbiter was coming home after a marathon 16-day science mission. Columbia broke apart due to heat shield damage on the leading edge of the orbiter's left wing. The damage, which occurred during Columbia's launch when a piece of fuel tank foam struck the wing, allowed hot atmospheric gases into the wing, leading to the orbiter's destruction. This image of the STS-107 shuttle Columbia crew in orbit was recovered from wreckage inside an undeveloped film canister. The shirt colors indicate their mission shifts. From left (bottom row): Kalpana Chawla, mission specialist; Rick Husband, commander; Laurel Clark, mission specialist; and Ilan Ramon, payload specialist.

From left (top row) are astronauts David Brown, mission specialist; William McCool, pilot; and Michael Anderson, payload commander. Ramon represents the Israeli Space Agency. Credit: NASA/JSC The Columbia disaster led directly to the retirement of NASA's space shuttle fleet and its replacement with new capsule-based spacecraft designed for deep-space exploration. The last space shuttle missions flew in 2011, with NASA's remaining orbiters — Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour — and the test shuttle Enterprise arriving at their final museum homes in 2012 for public display. NASA currently relies on Russia's Soyuz spacecraft to fly Americans to and from low-Earth orbit, though the agency plans to rely on new private spacecraft to ferry astronauts on trips to and from the International Space Station once they become available in 2015 or so. Space memorials from coast to coast Several of NASA's space centers will hold memorials this week to honor the Apollo, Challenger and Columbia astronauts in different ways. In Houston, Johnson Space Center officials will join the Sabine County Columbia Memorial Committee for three days of events at the Patricia Huffman Smith NASA Museum in Hemphill, Texas. On Wednesday (Jan.

30), NASA's Digital Learning Network at JSC will host two educational events with Hemphill High School students, at 10:45 a.m. CST and 2 p.m. CST. On Thursday (Jan. 31), astronaut Tim Kopra and JSC director Ellen Ochoa will speak at the Family Life Center of the First Baptist Church in Hemphill at NASA night. Astronaut Bill McArthur will join Kopra and Ochoa on Friday to share remarks at a memorial service at the church at 7:30 a.m. CST, NASA officials said. In California, NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, just south of San Francisco, will hold a memorial ceremony at its Exploration Center beginning at 10 a.m. PST on Friday. "The Exploration Center also will unveil an exhibit to pay tribute to NASA astronaut and STS-107 space shuttle Columbia Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla, a friend and colleague to the Ames community during her tenure as an astronaut candidate," Ames officials said in an announcement.

The Ames tribute will include an exhibit of Columbia mission memorabilia that includes some of Chawla's personal belongings, items and awards, which will be on display through March 25, center officials said. You can follow SPACE.com Managing Editor Tariq Malik on Twitter @tariqjmalik . Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook . Editor's Recommendations

Question: What is the name of the space shuttle destroyed in midair 28 Jan 1986?
Answer: Challenger